JennsJourney

It took me about 2 months to be able to really gulp poweraid zero and about 3 months to gulp Water. I felt the same way...I thought I would never be able to drink normal again but it does get better.

However, I still need my Water to be ice cold. If it is luke warm, it makes my tummy hurt.

Stay with it!

I felt the same way!

I'm almost 5 months out and I do mostly low carb/high Protein but i have had a few cheats. I ate a very small piece of cake or a couple of bites of Pasta. I don't make this a habit because I know that carbs/sugar puts weight on me but nothing I have tried has made me sick. I just know that if I eat something I'm not supposed to, then I won't have enough room for all my Protein.

But I can say that I can truly enjoy almost any food as long as I'm smart about it. And even when I have had a small cheat, it did not stall my weight loss but I didn't let that give me an excuse to continue making bad choices.

Hope that give you a little encouragement!

It does pass! I promise. But the best thing to do is to walk as much as possible. I also used chewable gas x too.

I can't stand Protein bars that tastes like protein...I know that is kinda silly but true. I also don't like the chewy ones. I feel like it takes me forever to eat one.

But I have found that I love Power Crunch bars! I actually like all the flavors but my favorite is chocolate mint. You can buy individual ones at Walmart and Kroger to try them out.

I was Feb 2nd!

That's great! How are you doing? Any issues or set backs?

This happened to me too after starting Zumba classes. But after a week, I started losing weight faster than before! So, keep your head up...YOU'RE DOING GREAT!

I had my sleeve done Feb 9th, 2016. I was wondering if anyone had theirs done around the same time so we can compare notes and encourage one another.

3. I get frustrated because I have to eat so slow and my food gets cold...then it tastes nasty and I don't want to eat it.

s.

one thing I have invested in is some small ramekins - about the size around of a coffee cup and then if I am having something warm I put it on a cup warmer so that it warms up the ramekin and keeps my food the right temperature. has saved a few dishes for me.

Thanks for this tip! I'm going to try this.

Okay for the sitting part, I had to relearn how to sit. My physical therapist helped me with this. When we are fat with all the padding we learn to sit in a way that accommodates that. Once we get skinny if we continue to sit that way we hit all the wrong bones and it hurts. Basically if you push your butt back to the back of the chair and sit forward onto the backs of your thighs (on the "sitz bones" as my yoga teacher calls them) and reclaim the natural curvature of the lumbar spine the weight doesn't go on the bones anymore.

Kinda hard to explain, she had to help me by adjusting my body, but I drew a picture to kind of explain. Hope it helps someone!

ImageUploadedByBariatricPal1465060853.571751.jpg

Extremely helpful! Thanks for sharing.

I'm still a relative newbie at 4.5 months out but in that short amount of time, I've learned a lot. (And will learn a ton more in the future.)

Here is what I have learned:

1. I can only drink Water if it is ice cold! My Yeti and Thermos bottles have saved my Water intake!

2. Some days, my tummy is just not "happy" and I have to go back to liquids.

3. I get frustrated because I have to eat so slow and my food gets cold...then it tastes nasty and I don't want to eat it.

4. Heartburn has been my nemesis. (It is this strange burning sensation in my tummy and chest.) I have found that if it gets bad, if I drink 1/4 of a cup of half and half and it helps it tremendously.

5. One of my biggest issues was pychological. One night a few months post-op, I had a really rough day and I just wanted a "comforting meal" and I realized for the first time...I couldn't eat it even if I wanted to. I had a small panic attack! But since then, I'm learning how to use healthy coping mechanisms for stress instead of eating.

6. Surgery doesn't mean you can eat anything you want! I still watch my carbs and make sure I eat healthy (and clean).

7. Never eat kid's meals! I used to think that was the way to go because the portion size was smaller but kid's meals are crappy food with little Protein and lots of fried things. Now, I just order one meal (and maybe an appetizer) and split it with my husband.

8. Losing weight has given me my LIFE back! I actually want to go out and do things now. It truly gives me FREEDOM!

9. My tailbone is sooooo sore! I never would have guessed losing some of my "padding" would affect me this way.

10. I actually enjoy working out!! WHAT?! lol

That's all I can think of for now. And I love these forums! They have helped me so much the last 4 months.

The whole sore back side thing, I had heard other people say it would happen but oh my gosh, my tailbone kills me most of the time!!

I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE!!! i've lost almost 90 lbs and my husband lost 70 lbs and we both talk about how our tailbone hurts while sitting a long time or driving long distances. That is crazy! I wonder if there is a good way to help with this.

But none the less...I'm glad to know other people have this same issue!

My doctor told me to let warm Water run over the incisions and then lightly pat on antibacterial soap and let the Water run over it to rinse. Then I would pat them dry with a towel.

Some of my glue came off the first week but some of the thicker glue stayed on for a month and a half. The doctor said that was normal and not to pull any of it off. For a while, I wasn't sure if it would ever completely come off but it did and my incisions have healed beautifully.

Hope that helps!

The same thing happened to me and a nurse told me about this one. It is small and did not make me sick. I think I got mine at Walgreens. After about 3 months, I was able to tolerate the large "complete" ones. Hope this helps!

Congratulations!! Was your 74 pound loss all post-op, or pre-op included?

That includes my pre-op loss which was about 12 lbs.

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I'm almost 4 months post-op and I'm noticing a strange phenomenon. Most meals I can eat around 6-8 bites. I always do a majority Protein and a few bites of veggies. I very seldom eat carbs.

But what I'm noticing is that on certain days I can eat more than normal. I'm not talking crazy amounts but more like 10 bites instead of 6. But I know my stomach doesn't change size and I'm not eating amounts that make me sick so why do I feel my restriction differently on certain days???

Thanks for your input!

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This is so inspirational! Thank you for sharing your progress and photos. I'm waiting on my surgery date and I'm beginning to have doubts! I'm afraid of going through all of this and then not lose weight! I need to lose SO MUCH. But thank you for a great success story

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Don't worry! Just dive into the experience and follow the plan. You will do great!!!

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I'm 3 months post-op and was so happy that I had minimal Hair loss but this week has been terrible!

Any tricks to help with hair retention and strength???

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I'm soooo proud of you! I know how hard it is as I have struggled with my weight most of my life.

I have also found pictures to be the best motivator and comforter when the scale isn't moving fast enough.

You should be so proud of yourself bc I can definitely see the difference!

Here's my before and after:

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Thank you for all the encouragement. I just have to say that a huge part of my success is that my husband has committed to a healthier lifestyle too. (He did not have WLS but we are eating healthy and working out.)

This picture shows how far we both have come!

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Thank you for all the encouragement. I just have to say that a huge part of my success is that my husband has committed to a healthier lifestyle too. (He did not have WLS but we are eating healthy and working out.)

This picture shows how far we both have come!

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Ummmmm hello... But that's not a "little victory"... It's huge and you look AMAZING!!! I wish I could figure out how to activate my emoji keyboard to send you balloons, confetti, the works. I'm sure my preteen daughter will know how to fix it... YEY YOU and thanks for sharing, so inspiring!

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Wow! Thanks for all the sweet support even without the emojis!

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Wat kind did u get this time?

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I had a sleeve revision.

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Any regrets Jennifer?

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None at all! I actually had the sleeve done about 6 yrs ago when they first started doing it and I only lost about 30 lbs and my restriction was so loose I could eat way more than I should! So going into this surgery, I was terrified but this time has been a dream! I just wish I had done it sooner.

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Thank you ALL for your sweet words of encouragement! I still have 80 lbs to go but it is nice to Celebrate with all of you. You are inspiring as well and I'm glad I get to walk this journey with such great people!

Thank you all for your encouragement and kind words! I still have 80 lbs to go but at least I'm seeing changes. You all inspire me as well and I'm glad we are walking this journey together!